Here, you get prescribed the non generic but the government subsidies only apply to the cheapest version available at a specific pharmacy.

So if a pharmacy only has the non generic, that's the one you get heavily discontinued (or free, depending on how much you already spent that year on prescription drugs), but if they have some cheaper generic version the subsidies only cover that one (you can pay the difference and get the non generic if you want).

So it's pretty rare that you actually get the non generic drug unless that pharmacy just happens to be out, or if your drugs are still under patent.

I am pretty sure our government also negotiates prescription drug prices, which keeps prices down (I guess mostly for them, since it's so heavily subsidized.)